The mission of UN police

The vision and mission of United Nations police

The Secretary-General, in his report to the Security Council, defined the vision for a people-centred, modern, agile, mobile and flexible, rights-based and norm-driven United Nations police (S/2016/952).

The mission of the United Nations police is to enhance international peace and security by supporting Member States in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations to realize effective, efficient, representative, responsive and accountable police services that serve and protect the population (S/2016/952).

The mandate of UN police

Depending on the mandate given by the United Nations Security Council, United Nations police build and support, or, where mandated, act as a substitute or partial substitute for, host-State police capacity to prevent and detect crime, protect life and property and maintain public order and safety in adherence to the rule of law and international human rights law.

United Nations police pursue community-oriented and intelligence-led policing approaches to contribute to the protection of civilians and human rights; address, among other things, sexual and gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence and serious and organized crime; and conduct investigations, special operations and electoral security.

The work of the United Nations police is undertaken within a framework which includes the principles of security sector reform, peacebuilding and early peacebuilding for peace operations, and encompasses efforts to prevent the outbreak of or relapse into conflict (see A/69/968-S/2015/490, para. 7). Conflict prevention involves both immediate operational activities (stabilization and physical protection) and longer-term structural prevention (building of political will and national capacity) (see A/55/985-S/2001/574, para. 8) within a larger context, including reconciliation and transitional justice as critical factors for sustainable peace (S/2016/952).